National Assembly (Hansard, 10 February 1999)

§ Mr. Swayne
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what leisure facilities are planned to be made available for members of the National Assembly; and if he will make a statement. [69218]

§ Mr. Michael
I have asked for a review of leisure facilities available to Welsh Office staff in Cardiff and elsewhere. Most of the staff to be employed by the Welsh Assembly will transfer from the Welsh Office in Cathays Park where the leisure facilities available to staff are quite limited. There is a fitness suite in Cathays Park, known as the Welsh Office Crown Building Fitness Centre, opened in May 1992, on the initiative of a number of staff. The suite is run as a private club by a committee of staff and its use is restricted to club members. The Department provides the accommodation in the mezzanine of Cathays Park but the equipment is funded by members' subscriptions and loans from the Civil Service Sports Council.
There is also a Welsh Office Sports and Social Association (WOSSA) funded by subscription from staff, for which the Welfare Department provides the secretariat. However this has not been very active in recent years and any social and sporting activity carried on within the Department is generally organised by individual staff members, sometimes with the help of grants from WOSSA. Other than the support given in the form of basic accommodation, in the case of the fitness suite, the Department does not provide staff leisure facilities in Cardiff or elsewhere.
Members and officials working in Crickhowell House will be provided with an induction pack which will list the leisure facilities in the Bay and surrounding area. There is no room at present in Crickhowell House to provide any facility similar to that at Cathays Park, but as additional space becomes available, in due course, it may be possible to provide leisure facilities. Following the review, recommendations will be prepared for consideration by the Assembly.

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 21 January 1999,Official Report, column 549, on the National Assembly, when he expects to lay the draft of the Order relating to disqualification of persons from membership of the National Assembly before Parliament. [69690]

§ Mr. Michael
Section 12 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 deals with disqualification from membership of the National Assembly. It provides that certain individuals and classes of person may not be members of the Assemblyby applying section 1(1) of the House of Commons (Disqualification) Act 1975, judges, civil servants, members of the armed forces, members of the police forces and members of foreign legislatures; those disqualified from being a member of a local authority; the Auditor General for Wales and the Welsh Administration Ombudsman; criminals in detention and those who have escaped; and Lords-Lieutenants and High Sheriffs for areas in Wales who are disqualified from representing those areas in the Assembly.
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Section 12 also provides for an Order-in-Council to designate further offices and employments, the holding of which would be incompatible with membership of the Assembly. A consultation exercise invited views on the offices and employments that might be covered by the Order.
Having considered the comments received, I have set out in a draft Order-in-Council which has today been laid before both Houses of Parliament, a list of the proposed disqualifying offices and employments. The draft Order-in-Council is subject to affirmative resolution procedure in both Houses before being put to Her Majesty in Council.
The draft Order proposes the following disqualification from membership of the Assembly:

(a) Members of

National Park Authorities in Wales

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

Rent Assessment Panel in Wales

Registered Inspectors Appeal Tribunal

Sianel Pedwar Cymru

Arts Council for Wales

Audit Commission for Local Authorities and National Health Service in England and Wales

Broadcasting Standards Commission

Channel Four Television Corporation

Commission for Local Administration in Wales

Competition Commission

Council of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

Countryside Council of Wales

Environment Agency

Forestry Commissioners

General Teaching Council for Wales

Independent Television Commission

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales

Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority

Pensions Compensation Board

Radio Authority

Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales

Sports Council for Wales

Wales Tourist Board

Welsh Language Board

Council of the National Library of Wales

Council of the National Museum of Wales

(b) Members(not also being employees) of

Further Education Funding Council for Wales

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales

Welsh Development Agency

Certification Officer or assistant certification officer

Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

Health Authority in Wales

NHS Trust in Wales

Special Health Authority in Wales
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(c) other disqualifying offices

Chief Adjudication Officer appointed under section 39 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992

Chief Child Support Officer appointed under section 13 of the Child Support Act 1991

Civil Service Commissioner

Commissioner for Public Appointments

Commissioner for Protection against Unlawful Industrial Action

Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members

Commissioner or assistant Commissioner of the Boundary Commission for Wales

Director General of Electricity Supply

Director General of Fair Trading

Director General of Gas Supply

Director General of Telecommunications

Comptroller and Auditor General

Governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation

Health Service Commissioner for Wales

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales

Member of a Medical Appeal Tribunal appointed under section 50 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992

Member of a panel appointed under section 6 of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992 of persons to act as chairmen of Child Support Appeal Tribunals

Member of a panel appointed under section 6 of the Tribunal and Inquiries Act 1992 of persons to act as chairmen of Social Security Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeal Tribunals and Disability Appeal Tribunals

Member of a panel of persons appointed under section 6 of the Social Security Act 1998

Member of a panel of persons who may be appointed to serve on a Vaccine Damage Tribunal

Member of the Council of the National Library of Wales

Member of the Council of the National Museum of Wales

Staff of the Auditor General for Wales

Staff of the Forestry Commissioners

Staff of the National Audit Office

Pensions Ombudsman

Staff holding politically-restricted posts in local government and National Park Authorities in Wales (unless exemption is obtained under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989)

President of appeal tribunals appointed under section 5 of the Social Security Act 1998

President of Social Security Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeal Tribunals and Disability Appeal Tribunals

Regional or other full time chairman of a child support appeal tribunal established under section 21 of the Child Support Act 1991

Regional or other full time chairman of Social Security Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeals Tribunals or Disability Appeals Tribunals

Rent Officers appointed under the Rent Act 1977

Returning Officers in Assembly elections

Social Fund Commissioner.
There will be separate arrangements outside the Order-in-Council to cover the disqualification of members of the Boards of Training and Enterprise Companies in Wales, Career Companies in Wales and the Welsh European Programme Executive Ltd.
I have decided not to take forward the suggestion contained in the consultation paper that staff of the bodies listed in the draft Order should be disqualified. However, 250W where an employee of such a body is elected as a member of the Assembly, I would expect that person to resign their paid employment immediately following election.